Williams Named MIAA Women's Track Athlete of the Week

JEFFERSON CITY -- After winning two races and helping the Blue Tigers to a second-place result in a third at the Saluki Open, Lincoln's Twishana Williams has been selected as the MIAA's Women's Track Athlete of the Week. The league announced the award, which was voted upon by a select panel of conference sports information directors, on Tuesday.

Competing mainly against runners from NCAA Division I institutions at the Saluki Open last weekend (Jan. 11-12), Williams won the mile and the 3,000-meter for the Blue Tiger women's only victories of the meet. In the mile, she outran 22 other runners, nearly all of which were from NCAA Division I programs, to clock in at 5:01.25. That time ranks as the best in the MIAA this season and is also a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships. Each of the next 11 finishers in the mile were from Division I schools, and Williams finished more than two full seconds faster than the runner-up from Belmont (5:03.42).

In the 3,000-meter run, she finished with a time of 10:27.80, nearly a full 10-seconds faster than the runner-up's time of 10:37.60. Williams was the only NCAA Division II runner in the field of 21 for that race. Williams also helped Lincoln to a second-place showing in the 4x400-meter relay, as she teamed with Tamara Keane, Donna-Lee Hylton and Nicketa Coombs to take second with a time of 3:54.45.

This marks the fourth time overall, and the second time this season, that Williams has been named the MIAA Women's Track Athlete of the Week. Williams earned the honor back on Dec. 11 in the only other voting period this season after winning three races at the Bob Timmons Challenge and Holiday Preview. She had previously claimed the honor during the 2011-12 indoor season (Feb. 22) and the 2012 outdoor season (April 9).

The Lincoln women's track & field team, which was ranked No. 2 in the country in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's annual preseason poll, continues its season with two meets this week. The Blue Tigers will be competing in the Missouri Invitational in Columbia on Friday (Jan. 18) and the University of Illinois' Illini Classic this weekend (Jan. 18-19).